A thermistor is a resistor whose resistivity varies with temperature that is typically used as a temperature sensor. A current is typically driven through the thermistor to generate a voltage monitored by an analog to digital (A/D) converter. The conversion result from the A/D converter is translated to the thermistor resistance and then converted into a temperature result. However, the resolution of the temperature result is limited by the A/D converter. For example, over a temperature range of 10 degrees Celsius (° C.), a 14 bit A/D converter will only provide a resolution of 10/214° C. or 600 micro degrees C. Certain applications require a greater degree of resolution than can be provided by A/D converters today.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for a thermistor system capable of higher resolution measurements over a wider temperature range and to overcome the inherent integral nonlinearity of the A/D converter.